There are many different types of headgear that are adjustable to fit around a user's head. Baseball-type caps may be adjustable using overlapping straps having complementary hook and loop fasteners or a buckle or other types of adjustment features. Some baseball-type caps have overlapping plastic straps extending across an opening at the rear of the cap, with complementary pins and receiving holes arranged on opposing bands that may be aligned in different ways and press-fit to provide a desired cap circumference. Other types of headgear, such as helmets and masks, may incorporate opposing bands that can be adjusted relative to one another using a geared mechanism to provide larger circumference and smaller circumference adjustments.
Headlamp assemblies providing a lamp mounted on a band that can be mounted on a user's head are popular accessories for nighttime activities. Some conventional headlamp assemblies mount a lamp on an elastic band and provide fittings for shortening and lengthening the band to change the working circumference of the band and provide adjustment to different head sizes. These systems rely on the tension of the elastic to provide radial pressure on the head to hold the lamp in place. The elastic bands tend to loosen over time and rarely provide secure mounting of the lamp to the user's head as the user participates in activities. Furthermore, the larger or heavier the headlamp and the more strenuous the user's activity, the more tension is required to provide sufficient radial pressure to secure and maintain the headgear in position, often producing discomfort. Additionally, the lamp is typically provided in a hard plastic case mounted on the elastic band using a hard plastic mounting frame, which is detrimental to user comfort, particularly as the elastic band is tightened to provide a secure fit.
Headlamp assemblies typically provide a limited lamp pivoting range. Many headlamps are pivotable through a pivot range of approximately 45°, for example, with discrete stop positions at predetermined angular orientations. If a user wishes to direct the lamp's illumination in a direction outside the pivoting range of the lamp, he or she adjusts the neck or body position to achieve the desired direction of illumination. This adjustment technique is inconvenient and may produce undesirable pain and fatigue.
This disclosure is directed to providing headgear having an adjustable circumference strap providing secure, comfortable and convenient mounting and removal of the headgear to a user's head. This disclosure is furthermore directed to an improved mounting assembly for an accessory such as a lamp (or another accessory) that may be incorporated in a comfortable and adjustable band system.